Rep. Nathan Coulter

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees to create a workgroup focused on improving health insurance access for adjunct faculty members. The workgroup must include representatives from the university system, faculty organizations, and designated faculty members, and it is tasked with identifying obstacles preventing part-time instructors from qualifying for employer-sponsored health coverage. By December 2027, the group must submit findings and policy recommendations to state legislators, with the workgroup itself expiring in early 2028.

Maddy summaryHF 3119 establishes minimum pay standards for Minnesota teachers and certain unlicensed school staff starting July 1, 2026. It sets teacher compensation thresholds at $60,000-$100,000 annually (based on education and experience) and a $25 hourly wage floor for unlicensed staff who regularly interact with students. The bill requires annual inflation adjustments using the Consumer Price Index, beginning in 2030, and creates state aid programs to help school districts cover these costs. School districts, charter schools, and other public education entities directly affected must meet these standards or receive state funding to do so.

Maddy summaryHF 3351 repeals Minnesota's state preemption law that previously blocked local governments from regulating firearms. This bill removes barriers preventing cities and counties from creating their own firearm regulations, such as zoning rules for gun stores. It amends Minnesota Statutes to allow local governments to adopt "reasonable, nondiscriminatory, and nonarbitrary" ordinances regarding firearm sales locations. The bill also repeals specific sections (471.633, 471.634, 624.714, 624.717, and 624.7191) that enforced the preemption. Local governments will now have direct authority to regulate firearms within their jurisdictions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Minnesota Board of Early Care and Education to improve the quality of child care and early learning programs for children from birth to kindergarten. The new board will be made up of representatives from child care centers, family homes, schools, tribal organizations, Head Start programs, and parents, with members selected to ensure geographic diversity across the state. Its main duties include setting program quality standards, improving educator qualifications, and consolidating existing state support systems. The legislation also gives the board authority to create rules, requires it to submit reports, and provides funding to get the board up and running.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new state general levy specifically for residential homestead property in Minnesota, which will be collected starting with taxes payable in 2027. The legislation creates a formula where the amount levied on homeowners is calculated to ensure cities receive a specific level of state aid, replacing the previous method that excluded homesteads from this specific tax pool. Additionally, the bill modifies how state aid is distributed to cities by guaranteeing that each city receives an amount equal to its unmet need or its prior year's certified aid, whichever is greater. These changes aim to adjust the funding structure for local governments while introducing a dedicated tax source for residential properties.

Maddy summaryHF 1758 requires all health plans covering maternity benefits in Minnesota to provide comprehensive coverage for infertility diagnosis/treatment and standard fertility preservation services. It applies to private health plans, MinnesotaCare, and medical assistance programs, effective January 1, 2026. The law mandates no cost-sharing beyond what's required for maternity coverage (e.g., no extra deductibles), prohibits benefit limits specific to fertility care, and allows up to four completed oocyte retrievals per year. The state will reimburse health plans for coverage costs that wouldn’t have been provided without this law, using funds appropriated annually. This directly affects Minnesotans seeking infertility care through qualifying health insurance.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $25 million from the state's general fund in fiscal year 2027 to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The money is designated for the demolition of obsolete and underutilized buildings and infrastructure across the system's campuses. Additionally, the funds will be used to restore the vacant sites left behind by these demolitions. The primary goal is to lower ongoing operations, maintenance, and capital renewal costs for the colleges.

Maddy summaryHF 3698 prohibits publishers from including certain restrictive terms in license agreements for libraries' electronic books and digital audiobooks. It directly affects Minnesota public libraries, school libraries, and the Minitex network by banning clauses that prevent libraries from lending digital materials - such as restrictions on interlibrary loans or limiting how materials can be shared. The law requires contracts to allow libraries to perform standard lending functions, including loaning materials via digital systems. It becomes effective 60 days after Minnesota’s secretary of state confirms other states with at least 7 million combined population have similar laws.

Maddy summaryThis Minnesota legislative resolution (HF 2688) requests Congress to seek a constitutional amendment overturning the *Citizens United v. FEC* Supreme Court decision. It asks Congress to clarify that constitutional rights apply only to natural persons (not corporations or other artificial entities) and that campaign spending is not protected speech under the First Amendment. The resolution specifically proposes an amendment requiring governments to regulate campaign contributions and expenditures to ensure equal political access for all citizens, regardless of wealth, and to mandate public disclosure of all political spending. It does not create new laws but formally urges federal action through a constitutional amendment process.

Maddy summaryMinnesota bill HF 1900 changes eligibility rules for public assistance benefits by modifying which drug-related offenses affect an applicant's or participant's benefits. It requires that individuals convicted of a felony-level drug offense within the past ten years may face random drug testing and must receive benefits for housing and utilities through vendors (not cash), unless they are applying only for SNAP benefits. The bill specifically excludes cannabis, marijuana, or THC-related offenses from these restrictions. This directly affects people applying for or receiving public assistance who have recent felony drug convictions, including those seeking SNAP benefits alone.